


Burning for You

by BoredCollective



Series: The Dating Game [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Coran is a saint, Fever Dream, Fluff, Keith is loved, Lance cares a lot, Lance is a sweetheart, Light Angst, M/M, Sickfic, broganes, hunk is an angel, klance, major fluff, small panic attack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-21
Updated: 2018-08-21
Packaged: 2019-06-30 15:47:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15754812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BoredCollective/pseuds/BoredCollective
Summary: After working long hours nonstop for weeks, Keith gets sick and doesn't want to pass it on to his boyfriend. Lance disagrees, especially after a worrying phone call.





	Burning for You

**Author's Note:**

> So this ended up a whole lot longer than I was planning...¯\\_(ツ)_/¯  
> This is set in the same universe as my other one, and it takes place about 8 months after it. You don't need to read the other one to understand what's happening.  
> Trigger Warning: Keith has an intense fever dream and then a subsequent small panic attack. I don't think either is described heavily enough to be a problem, but please be careful. If you don't even want to tempt fate, skip over the first time it switches back to Keith's perspective. That should cover it.  
> As always, questions, comments, edits are always appreciated so hit me up.

“Keith? Keith, are you still there?”

Keith blinked and grunted softly. He couldn’t remember how he ended up lying on the floor in front of the lit fireplace. He wasn’t even sure when the fire had been _lit_ , but there it was, merrily crackling away. Keith sighed and rolled so that his back was warmed by its heat, phone still pressed to his ear, “Yeah Lance, I’m still here. Sorry, I must have zoned out for a minute. What did you say?”

Keith heard Lance sigh, “Keith, you’ve been working your ass off and I haven’t seen you in over a week. May I come over please?”

Keith opened his eyes, which he hadn’t even realized were closed. They burned fiercely, and his brain felt foggy, “Lance I’m pretty sure I’m sick. You should just stay home and let me rest so that you don’t catch it.” He coughed into his sleeve and felt utterly exhausted.

There was a pause in the conversation and Keith’s eyes closed again in the silence. It was the holiday season and lot of people from the department wanted time off to spend with family since not everyone would be able to do so for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It was always busy this time of year for everyone on the crew, and the ones with the least seniority always ended up working the most. Keith had worked sixteen hour days almost a month straight before he had gotten his regularly scheduled days off, but the damage was done. He had come home the last two days of work feeling completely worn out and beyond exhausted, and this morning he had woken up with a fever. He also hadn’t been able to see or spend any time with Lance except when Lance had gone out of his way to spend a quick half an hour lunch at the station, and even that had been interrupted by a medical call. Needless to say, Keith was pretty upset about it and Lance wasn’t holding up much better.

“Keith?”

He jerked out of his stupor, “Sorry, sorry, I think I fell asleep there. What did you say?”

Keith heard Lance sigh heavily again, “Nevermind Keith. Just go to sleep.”

Keith sat up and almost fell back over when his head spun, “Wait Lance, I’m sorry. Really I am, please don’t hang up on me.” Keith was almost panicked; he felt like if they ended the conversation like this it would not be good. He couldn’t fight the feeling in his gut that Lance was really upset, and Keith hated that.

“Seriously Keith, it’s fine. Just go to sleep. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

Keith cringed inwardly, hunching his shoulders and pulling his knees up to his chest. He pressed the phone so hard into his face that he was sure it would bruise. He bit his lip and fought back tears that had gathered in his eyes and threatened to spill out. “Kay,” he whispered as he covered his mouth with his free hand.

“Night Keith.”

“Night…”

Keith heard the soft beeping that informed him the call had ended, and he flopped down onto his side again, curling into a fetal position and clutching the phone to his chest. His tears streamed down his face as he quietly sobbed into his hand. He couldn’t figure out why, but he felt like there was a gaping wound in his chest where his heart was supposed to be. He just couldn’t shake the looming feeling that he had hurt Lance.

 

* * *

 

Lance stared at his phone, worry churning his gut. He bit his lip with indecision, phone gripped so tightly that it felt like it would cut into his hand. He couldn’t stop thinking about how Keith had sounded on the phone, and just how out of it he had been. Keith had said he was sick, but Lance feared Keith was underestimating just how badly he was doing. He stood up and paced his apartment while Blue watched him from the couch. He paused in his third round and spun to face her.

“What should I do?” he asked her desperately. She yawned at him before settling her head back onto her paws and closing her eyes. Lance scratched the back of his neck, staring down at the phone in his hand again. He sighed as he came to a decision, unlocking it and dialing the only other person he could ask.

“Hey Lance, what’s going on?” Shiro asked after the third ring. Lance exhaled the breath he hadn’t known he was holding.

“Shiro, hey. Keith is sick and he told me not to go over there, but I’m really worried. He doesn’t sound like he’s doing well _at all_ and I don’t think he’s taking proper care of himself.”

Shiro made a small noise in understanding, “Yeah, he’s bad at that when he’s sick. Let me call him and see what’s up and I’ll call you back, ok? It should be about ten minutes.”

“Thanks Shiro, you’re a lifesaver.”

They said their goodbyes and Lance went back to pacing. He just couldn’t sit still as the anxiety made it feel like a thousand warships were battling it out in his stomach. This whole thing would have been so much easier if Keith had just let him go over there. Or had given him a key to his place. Maybe after this is done Lance will finally have that talk with Keith. They had been dating for almost six months now, so it shouldn’t be too soon right? He should be alright asking for his boyfriend’s house key right? Oh great, more anxiety. Think about something else Lance!

The phone buzzed in his hand, making him jump about a mile in the air, almost dropping it. He scrambled to catch it as it bounced between his hands, barely managing to save it before it hit the ground. He answered without looking to see who was calling.

“Hello?” he didn’t exactly screech into the phone, but it wasn’t exactly dignified. Not that he was going to admit that to anyone.

“Lance?” Shiro sounded slightly unsure and concerned from the other end of the line.

  
“Yes, hey Shiro. What’s the status?” Lance sounded a little frantic, even to his own ears.

“I called Keith twice but he didn’t pick up either time. I’m not saying I’m worried but that’s unusual for him and given that you’re worried about just how sick he is, I’ve called his friend who has the spare key to his place. Coran will meet you at Keith’s townhome in about forty minutes. Is that ok?”

Lance’s chest constricted and made it nearly impossible to breathe, but he managed to wheeze out a small, “yes that’s fine!” to Shiro before he hung up and rushed around his apartment to gather his stuff. He shoved his feet into his shoes and grabbed his jacket, practically running out his door and flying down three flights of stairs to his car. He was practically vibrating from anxiety and worry, calling Keith’s phone as he drove in an attempt to keep himself calm. He’s already decided that living forty-five minutes away from your boyfriend is too far. Lance listens to the phone ring and ring as he speeds down the highway, and he prays that he’s just overreacting.

 

* * *

 

Keith is vaguely aware that there’s an irritatingly constant noise trying to rouse him from sleep. He knows it’s a sound that he should pay attention to, but he’s so _tired_ , and his body is so _heavy_ , and all he really wants to do is get warm and comfortable and go back to his peaceful dreams. So he rolls over to face the blessed heat and ignores the sound. It stops and Keith feels the siren call of unconsciousness pulling him under when it starts again. He frowns and cracks an eyelid. He’s staring at a fire, which explains the heat. He rolls onto his back and turns his head to look at the rest of the room. It’s dark and the only illumination comes from the crackling flames, throwing everything into constant motion. He feels like the room is spinning and the moving light isn’t helping so he closes his eyes again. He concentrates on identifying the persistent noise, if only to quiet it so that he can go back to sleep, when it stops again. He sighs and starts to drift off again when he hears someone call his name. He opens his eyes to see Lance kneeling before him, his signature smirk in place.

“Lance?” Keith croaks out from a dry throat. He’s so thirsty; if he had the energy he’d stand up and get some water.

“Hey there Mullet, how’s it going?”

Keith stared at Lance as he willed the room to stop spinning. Lance seemed to be going along for the ride, but Keith could only focus on his eyes because they appeared to be glowing. Keith squinted, trying to bring everything into focus, but gave up after a moment because it didn’t help; everything just kept spinning wildly and it was making him nauseous. His breath was coming in gasps as he tried to keep from throwing up. He felt a soft tap on his cheek and he opened his eyes to see Lance had reached out and was touching him.

“Keith, why didn’t you let me come over? I just wanted to help you.”

Lance looked devastated as he spoke, his face crestfallen and drawn. It was such an unusual look for him that Keith felt it like a punch to his gut. Lance was also so happy and carefree, he should never look so defeated.

“Lance, I’m sorry,” Keith whispered, but Lance just shook his head, smirking again.

“You think sorry is going to cut it, Mullet? I’m tired of always waiting for you to get it,” Lance said loudly, and Keith winced as his insides twisted. He knew he had hurt Lance earlier, but he thought that they would talk about it when Keith wasn’t so tired. Lance stood up, his face twisting into a cruel smile. The room was spinning rapidly, and Keith was surprised Lance could even find his balance, “You’re always pushing me away, and you never let me help you. You should have just told me from the start that you didn’t love me.”

Keith wailed loudly and reached a hand out to grasp Lance’s shoe, but he was already turning and walking away. Keith cried out and started to crawl towards Lance’s retreating figure.

“Lance, wait! Please!”

Lance stopped, already halfway to the door, and turned to look at Keith with a sneer, “I’m done waiting for you, Mullet. You’ve hurt me for the last time.”

Keith froze at the words, his limbs turning to ice and his breath freezing in his lungs. His mind could only conjure a single word of denial, but it wouldn’t escape his lips. He watched as Lance slowly paced back to him and squatted down in front of Keith’s prone form, and before his eyes he saw blood start to spill from the corner of Lance’s mouth. Keith moaned in anguish, his heart crushed under the weight of guilt and horror, tears obscuring his vision and making everything blurry. Lance continued to stare at Keith with that terrible sneer, blood dripping from his mouth in a steady rivulet. Keith choked out Lance’s name and reached for him again but still wasn’t close enough to touch him.

“See this Keith? This is what happens when you don’t let people in. The people who care about you walk away, the people you claim to love don’t wait around, and the people who love you? Well they just die from a broken heart. I’m not waiting around for that Keith. I’ve had enough.”

Lance’s sneer never left his face, and Keith watched in agony as he stood up and walked out of the door. Keith couldn’t breathe; his chest was tight and there wasn’t enough air in the room. He moaned as he reached for Lance’s retreating figure, tears streaming freely down his face.

“Lance!”

 

Keith jerked awake with a gasp of horror and searched frantically around the room for Lance. He wasn’t there and Keith felt his stomach roil. His heart was trying to escape his chest, either through his rib cage or up his throat, it didn’t care. Keith groaned as he felt bile at the back of his throat and he clamped a hand over his mouth hard as he stumbled up and into the bathroom. He barely made it to the toilet before he lost all the contents of his stomach. It didn’t stop there however, and he dry heaved for several more minutes, gasping for breath whenever he could. He was sticky with sweat and when his stomach finally calmed enough that he didn’t feel like he was going to puke again, he found that he had used up all his energy. He rested his head on his forearms, hunched around the toilet bowl, tears streaming down his face. He whimpered Lance’s name softly, not sure if he would ever see him again. The heart that only minutes before had been trying to escape his chest was now missing, and only a large, gaping hole was left. Keith sobbed, mourning the loss of the man he loved.

 

* * *

 

Lance paced outside of Keith’s townhome, waiting in the parking lot for Coran. He’d met the man once, but he wasn’t sure if he could spot him out in a crowd. He just hoped that Coran recognized him. He had called Keith every five minutes on the drive over and had shaved the forty-five-minute drive down to thirty-five, grateful that there had been no cops on the way. That would have been a ticket he wouldn’t have been able to talk his way out of. He knew Shiro had said Coran would meet him in forty minutes, but Lance was too anxious to wait that long; however he might not have a choice if Coran didn’t hurry up. Lance scratched the back of his neck, trying to relieve tension that was building there. He had run up to the door and knocked, but he hadn’t gotten an answer, just like his phone calls. He wasn’t panicking, but he wasn’t holding it together very well either; something in his gut was just persistently telling him something was _very wrong_.

A car pulled up and parked near Lance, and he saw a man with bright orange hair and an extremely thick mustache that curled up at both ends exit the vehicle. Lance immediately recognized Coran and was surprised he had forgotten how distinct he was. Maybe it was his panic addled brain that had made him forget.

Coran waved, “Lance, my boy! Glad to see you got here quickly. Shiro sounded pretty worried, so I would like to get in there as soon as possible if you don’t mind.”

Lance nodded vigorously, “Yeah, same here. Let’s go.”

They sped quickly up the walk to Keith’s door, Coran pulling out the key and turning the knob. Lance knew it didn’t take more than a few seconds but it felt like an eternity before Coran had the door unlocked and opened and Lance was pushing inside.

“Keith?” he called, noting the fire crackling in the fireplace. There was a phone laying on the floor a couple of feet in front of it, but he didn’t see Keith anywhere. He called Keith’s name again and started towards the stairs when he heard a sound that had his stomach dropping; sobs. Lance turned to the right and quickly jogged to the bathroom, not daring to breathe. He stopped in the doorway when he saw Keith curled around the toilet bowl, sobbing quietly, head in his arms. Lance made a strangled noise in the back of his throat and quickly dropped to his knees next to his boyfriend, placing his hands on Keith hesitantly, hoping to not startle him.

“Keith, babe, what’s wrong? Can you talk to me?” Lance asked gently. Keith’s shirt was soaked from sweat, his hair sticking to his scalp, his face still hidden. Lance ran a soft hand through Keith’s hair, trying to get it out of his face while making soothing sounds, “Keith, love, it’s Lance. Can you talk to me?” Keith’s sobs hadn’t subsided and he moaned Lance’s name with such agony that Lance was sure he felt his heart break, “Keith, baby, I’m right here. I’m here, it’s ok. Just look at me.”

Lance rubbed gentle, soothing circles onto Keith’s back, talking to him quietly, trying to calm him down. It felt like it took forever, but finally Keith’s sobs quieted to muted sniffles and hiccups, and he turned his face slightly so that Lance could see one eye. It was swollen and puffy from all the crying, residual tears glistening in the light, “La… Lance?” It was whispered, almost unsure and spoken in such a meek tone that Lance almost broke down right there.

“Yeah babe, it’s me,” he said softly, giving Keith a sweet smile. He reached up and smoothed some of Keith’s hair from his face.

“You… you’re here?” Keith’s voice cracked, sounding as though it had been run through a blender. He still hadn’t turned his head further out from his arms, just staring at Lance with one eye and hiding his expression.

Lance huffed a small sigh of relief and leaned his forehead against Keith’s shoulder for a second, the tension from the last two hours crashing so forcefully that he couldn’t hold himself up for a moment. He lifted his face and smiled gently at his boyfriend, worry still creasing his forehead, “Of course I’m here, I couldn’t let my boyfriend be sick all by himself.” He continued to rub soothing circles on Keith’s back, noticing how small tremors worked their way through Keith’s body. He heard Keith’s breath hitch and he noticed a tear slip from the eye he could see. Keith’s shoulders hunched further into himself and he turned his head back into his arms, a small keening cry escaping his lips. Lance saw his shoulders start to shake again and he could tell that Keith was saying something, but it was muffled behind his arms and his sobs. Lance’s heart broke just listening to the sounds and he spoke soft comforting words in an attempt to console the distressed boy.

There was a gentle hand placed on Lance’s shoulder, startling him. He looked back at the source and found Coran standing behind him, a sweet smile in his eyes and a glass of water in his hand. He extended it out towards Lance, who took it from him gratefully with a mouthed _thank you._ Coran nodded and stepped out of the room. Lance turned back to the sobbing boy next to him, “Keith? Babe, I have some water here for you. Can you drink some?”

Keith didn’t respond, only continued to sob softly, so Lance put the glass on the counter and went back to trying to sooth his distraught boyfriend. He continued to speak in a soft tone, not even sure what he was saying, just keeping up the steady stream in the hopes of grounding Keith. Keith’s sobs weren’t getting better and he kept mumbling something into his arms, but they weren’t getting any worse either so Lance knew he just needed to wait until they quieted on their own. After what seemed like an eternity, Keith turned his face out of his arms, fully facing Lance. He was a mess, tear stained cheeks and red splotches painting his face, eyes puffy and swollen.

“Lance,” he choked out, “Lance, I’m so sorry.”

Lance stared at him in shock for half a second before he started vigorously shaking his head, “No-no-no-no-no sweetheart! It’s ok, don’t worry!” Lance gently wiped the tears from Keith’s face, only to have more replace them almost instantly, “Keith, you have nothing to be sorry for. It’s ok.” Lance leaned forward and tenderly kissed away each tear, murmuring encouraging words against Keith’s skin. Keith half turned and gripped Lance’s shirt, burying his face in the fabric. Lance wrapped his arms around Keith’s head and placed gentle kisses in his hair. He rocked his boyfriend slowly, trying to comfort him to the best of his ability. Finally, the tears stopped and all that came out was shuddered breaths.

Lance kissed Keith’s head one more time and whispered softly into his hair, “Keith, love, can you drink some water for me?”

Lance felt a tiny nod and reached for the glass above his head on the counter. Keith pulled back just slightly, turning his head from Lance’s chest as he slowly released one of his hands from Lance’s shirt and reached for the cup. Lance kissed his forehead and watched as Keith took several sips, followed by a few more deeper swallows. Keith lowered the cup from his mouth, sniffling loudly, and Lance placed another soft kiss on his forehead, whispering a quiet _thank you_ against his skin. Keith leaned heavily against Lance, still trembling and sniffing occasionally, Lance holding him and rocking him gently still. Coran stuck his head into the doorway at that moment and Lance glanced up.

“I’ve moved a mattress in front of the fireplace and made it up so he can sleep there in the warmth. Want help getting him there?”

Lance looked down at Keith, “Keith, do you think you can stand and walk?”

Keith didn’t respond for a moment and Lance wasn’t sure he was even still awake when he felt a small nod. Lance took the empty glass from Keith’s hand and put it back on the counter, “Ok, on three. Ready? One… two… _three.”_

They stood together, almost falling over once as one of Keith’s legs didn’t hold him. Lance wrapped his arm around Keith’s waist and took most of his weight, slinging one of Keith’s arms over his shoulders. They stumbled out of the bathroom and shuffled towards the inviting looking cocoon of covers and pillows Coran had set up in front of the fire on the floor.

Lance looked over his shoulder at the man following closely behind them, ready in case they lost balance, “Hey Coran, could you go grab him a new shirt please? Third drawer on the right side of his dresser.”

Coran nodded, “Rightio my boy.”

As he hurried off, Lance and Keith slowly walked to the front room, Keith leaning more heavily on Lance with every step. He was practically carrying the sick boy by the time they finally reached pile and Lance lowered Keith onto the mattress. Keith stared dazedly at the floor, his eyes still puffy and swollen. Lance squatted down in front of him and grasped his hands hesitantly, “Keith, I need you to take your shirt off, can you do that for me?”

Lance wasn’t sure Keith was really processing anything as he continued to stare at the ground. He let go of one of Keith’s hands and grazed his cheek with his knuckles, causing Keith to finally look at him. He seemed to have been pulled out of a dream and was surprised to see Lance there.

“Keith? Your shirt is soaking wet, can you take it off for me?”

Keith didn’t acknowledge anything Lance said, but he did take his shirt off. It was a slow process and Lance ended up helping him as he seemed to run completely out of energy with one arm out of the shirt and the rest of his body still in it. Coran came back and handed Lance a shirt and a damp towel, which Lance thanked him for before gently wiping down Keith’s body. Again, Keith seemed to be completely out of it, and Lance was starting to get very worried. He pulled the new shirt down over Keith’s head when he was done wiping off the sweat and guided Keith’s arms through the sleeves. Coran spoke softly from behind Lance.

“I think he needs sleep and some more water. That should help immensely.”

Lance sighed, “I’m worried about the fever. Let me grab some more water and the thermometer.”

Lance stood up and hurried to the kitchen, stopping by the bathroom to pick up the glass still sitting on the counter. He filled up the cup, grabbing both the thermometer and some fever reducing pills (just in case) and headed back to the front room. Keith hadn’t moved at all, still sitting there staring at nothing, and Coran had moved to kneel in front of him, talking quietly. Lance sat next to them and pushed the water glass into Keith’s hand. It wrapped around the cup with no resistance, but he just held it.

“Keith? Can you take a sip of water for me please?”

Keith moved mechanically, raising the glass to his lips, sipping at the water. Lance touched his shoulder, “Keith I’m going to take your temperature ok? This is going to rub across your forehead.” Keith gave no acknowledgement, but Lance hadn’t expected him to. He took Keith’s chin into his free hand and slowly ran the thermometer across his forehead. When he pulled it away he looked at the illuminated display, showing the reading.

“103.5,” he said softly, “Shit Keith, you’re burning up. No wonder you’re so out of it.”

Coran nodded, “Almost enough to be worrisome, but for now just monitor it every hour and make him rest. Those meds you brought will also help if you can get him to keep them down. Also, if he can he should eat something, like soup or maybe a piece of toast. Just to give his stomach a break. But maybe you should try that after he’s slept a little.”

Lance grabbed Keith’s free hand and placed the two pills in it, “Keith, can you take these for me? They’re going to help you feel better. Then you can lie down.”

Keith looked down at the pills in his hand without interest, but quickly obeyed what Lance asked. He took a few more swallows of water from the glass before Lance took it from him and set it aside. Lance guided him down into the covers, the fire adding warmth to the room, and he pulled the blankets up over Keith’s body. Keith was curled onto his side, still facing Lance, back towards the fireplace. Lance finished tucking Keith in and tenderly stroked his cheek.

He turned towards Coran, “Thank you so much for meeting me here and getting me in, and for everything you’ve done. You’ve been a great help, and I’m glad you were here to help me.”

Coran beamed, “Of course, my boy! Keith has been a friend for years, so I’m glad that I could help him in his time of need. Now I must be going; it’s well past time for me to head home. I’ll call Shiro and let him know what’s going on. Do you need anything else?”

Lance shook his head, “No, thank you. I think I can manage from here. If I need anything else, I’ll let you know though.”

They quickly exchanged numbers and Coran left, patting Lance on the shoulder as he stood up. Lance sighed as the door closed and looked down at his boyfriend, who appeared to be staring at him rather intently. Lance leaned forward so he could talk to Keith quietly.

“Hey, what’s up? Do you need something?”

Keith stared and hesitantly reached a hand out from under the covers to touch Lance’s cheek. Lance grabbed the hand and gave it a small squeeze, smiling down at his boyfriend.

“You’re real?” came the whispered question from the cocoon of bedding on the floor.

Lance’s smile faltered just slightly, but he squeezed Keith’s hand again, “One hundred percent real and here Keith. Now get some sleep, ok?”

Keith nodded and sighed heavily, dropping his hand from Lance’s face. Lance tucked it back under the blankets and moved the glass of water into easy reaching distance should Keith wake up and want some more. He ran his fingers through Keith’s hair comfortingly and began to hum softly in the hopes of lulling Keith to sleep. Keith sighed again and began to relax, and as his breathing deepened and evened out, Lance finally felt a semblance of calm wash over him. He rubbed his eyes tiredly.

“Lance?” Keith’s voice surprised Lance and he looked down to see that Keith’s eyes were still closed. Lance thought maybe he was talking in his sleep, but he answered his boyfriend anyway.

“Yeah?”

A gentle smile curled Keith’s mouth upwards, “Thanks for coming over.”

Lance chuckled softly and bent down to place a lingering kiss on Keith’s forehead, “Of course babe. Every time.”

Keith sighed again, this time sounding content, and finally drifted off to sleep.

 

Keith had been asleep for at least half an hour before Lance left his side to prepare some soup or broth or something for when he woke up again. Lance wasn’t sure the last time his boyfriend had eaten, but he had been in that bathroom with him long enough to know that he had thrown up anything recent. He made a quick stop by the bathroom to clean up the small mess that was in there, and then moved on to the kitchen. Glancing at the clock, he saw that he had about fifteen minutes before he needed to check on Keith’s temperature again, just to make sure that it hadn’t risen. He opened the pantry door and found… nothing. There was a container with a small bit of brown sugar in it, a half-eaten jar of peanut butter, and a single piece of bread. Lance stared for a second before moving to the fridge. In there was worse; an almost empty jar of raspberry jam looked back at him and a box of baking soda. The freezer was completely empty except for a couple of ice trays that were unsurprisingly empty. Lance checked every single drawer and cupboard and found nothing more except pots and pans and eating utensils. He groaned in frustration and leaned heavily against a counter. When Keith was better, they were going to have a very _serious_ talk about food. He knew his boyfriend had been working long hours and hadn’t had a day off in over three weeks, but even that didn’t excuse the complete lack of food. Most people at least had a single can of crappy stew or soup they kept in case of emergency! He glanced up at the clock and saw he needed to check on Keith, but also noted that it wasn’t too late and he knew that there was a 24/7 grocer not too far from here. He bit his lip in indecision for a moment before making up his mind.

He walked back into the front room and knelt beside his still sleeping boyfriend, gently smoothing Keith’s hair out of the way as he ran the thermometer over his forehead again. He wasn’t sweating as much as he had been nor was he trembling anymore, which Lance noticed with happiness, and the thermometer stated that his temperature was down to 101. Lance sighed with relief; it was still a little high but it was also going down and was not nearly as threatening. Lance set the thermometer aside and stood up, grabbing the damp towel and pulling out his phone as he went. He walked to the bathroom and dialed.

“Hey buddy, it’s kind of late. What’s going on?” Hunks confused voice answered after the second ring.

“Hunk, dude, I need a huge favor,” Lance replied as he ran the towel under cold water from the sink. He wrung it out, trying to get as much of the sweat out of it as he could, before putting it back under the spray.

“Yeah man, what’s up?”

Lance smiled as he wrung out the towel again, trying to get it to stop dripping but to still be damp with cold water. That was the best part about Hunk; he never worried too much about helping a friend, no matter the time or the favor asked. He was just such a genuinely wonderful and sweet guy, and Lance was so lucky they were friends, “Keith is really sick. I’m over at his place right now and I was going to heat him up some soup but he has _no_ food. And when I say no food, I mean that literally. He has a piece of bread. Singular.”

Lance heard Hunk’s gasp of abject horror and grinned, walking back to the front room and placing the cool cloth over Keith’s forehead and eyes. Keith had cried a lot, so his eyes were going to be gritty and sore when he woke up. Lance knew that was never a pleasant experience, so the cloth was going to help in the meantime, “Yeah man, I’m just as appalled as you are. Anyway, I’m here with Keith and he’s not doing too great and I’m a little worried so I don’t want to leave him. I know it’s late, but you’re not too far away and there’s a grocery store that’s still open that’s not too far out of your way. Would you mind grabbing some food? I’ll pay you back!”

Hunk snorted, “Oh absolutely I will pick up some groceries for that poor guy and no you will not pay me back. That guy is a darling and a sweetheart and he’s been nothing but good to your sorry butt since the day you met him. We owe him.”

Lance smiled; Hunk and Pidge had been teasing him nonstop about Keith since they started dating six months back and all three of them agreed: Keith was far too good to be dating Lance.

“And we are _not_ buying a can of crappy soup for him to eat when he wakes up; we are going to make him my amazing chicken noodle soup, guaranteed to cure all that ails you. I made it for you last year when you got the flu.”

Lance remembered that soup, his mouth watering just thinking about it. He sat fully on the floor, cross legged and next to Keith, as he listened to Hunk talk about what sort of ingredients he would need to pick up. They talked about what kinds of foods Keith generally ate so that Hunk wasn’t shopping completely on his own guess alone. Lance absentmindedly stroked Keith’s hair as he chatted, enjoying the feel of it. It wasn’t very often that Keith was absolutely still and he often wasn’t completely comfortable with physical contact, so this was a rare treat for Lance, even if the circumstances were not ideal. Hunk and Lance spoke on the phone for about half an hour and then Hunk was off on his mission, so they hung up. Lance sat there, enjoying the quiet and trying his hardest not to worry too much about the sleeping man next to him.

Lance sighed heavily and gently grabbed Keith’s hand between his, “You really like to make me worry, don’t you?”

 

* * *

 

 

Keith woke up slowly, fighting against consciousness with every step. He was comfortable, if a bit warm, and he wanted to remain that way and go back to sleep. It had been a while since he had gotten a decent night’s sleep and he wanted to savor every moment he could. However, there were several things he noticed, piece by piece, as he lost the fight.

His head hurt. A lot.

His eyes were burning, even with his eyelids closed, which was not fun.

His throat also hurt, which was a bad sign since he hadn’t been feeling too well the last couple of days and a sore throat was just so not what he needed.

There were quiet voices, murmuring and indistinct, but he was almost positive he was at his home and there shouldn’t any voices at all.

And lastly whatever was being cooked smelled absolutely divine, and his stomach gave him a rather loud reminder that he hadn’t eaten since he left the fire house because he hadn’t felt well enough to go grocery shopping.

He slowly opened his eyes, the lids heavy and putting up more of a fight than a sumo wrestler. He blinked blearily, his mind slowly informing him that the reason he was so disoriented was because he was laying on the floor of his front room, which was weird. Also, he was lying on a mattress (he was pretty sure it was from his bed, but he couldn’t be sure until he looked) and was covered in several layers of blankets, which would explain why he felt so warm considering he usually only slept with a top sheet and duvet. He sat up slowly, the room spinning around just slightly, and cleared his throat in an attempt to get it to stop hurting.

He ended up almost coughing up his lung and his throat belligerently informing him that it was going to whine like a fussy child for a while still. When he finally stopped coughing enough to catch his breath, he opened his eyes to find a glass of water hovering near his face. He stared at it, wondering when his kitchenware had obtained Beauty and the Beast-esque magical properties, when he realized someone was saying his name. He looked up and his breath caught in his throat, causing another small bout of coughing.

_Lance was here._

His mind repeated the mantra as he coughed, and he watched Lance kneel down in front of him, eyes full of worry and concern, forehead furrowed, stress making the skin around his eyes tight, lines around his lips pronounced. He was still holding the cup to Keith and he was speaking, but Keith’s mind still couldn’t think of anything more than, _Lance is here. Lance came. Lance didn’t abandon me._

Keith finally managed to quit coughing long enough to catch his breath, his eyes never leaving Lance’s. He gratefully took the glass of water into his own hands and sipped at the cool liquid, enjoying the soothing sensation against his sensitive throat. Lance reached out and laid a hand against Keith’s forehead, his face still apprehensive, lips set into a grim line. Keith couldn’t stop his eyes from rapidly roving over his boyfriend, still not quite believing that he was here, that he was _real._ He reached tentatively out and touched two fingers to Lance’s cheek, and when it made contact with warm, soft skin Keith felt the ball of anxiety in the pit of his stomach start to unravel. He lowered the half empty glass from his lips and whispered, “You’re real.”

Lance’s expression changed from apprehension to confusion, and he took Keith’s outstretched hand into his own, “Yeah, I came over late last night. Don’t you remember?”

Keith stared at him blankly, “No? I remember bits and pieces of some really messed up dreams, but I don’t really remember much.”

His voice was hoarse and gravelly, as if he hadn’t used it in a decade. Lance threaded the fingers of their clasped hands together and gave it a gentle squeeze, “Yeah, you were pretty out of it. Kept mumbling my name in your sleep and you kept apologizing for something.”

Keith’s brow scrunched in concentration and he had vague flashes of Lance walking away, Lance saying awful things, Lance’s blood leaking from his mouth. Keith’s squeezed the hand held in his in a death grip and tried to breathe through the sudden panic that seized his heart. _Lance is here,_ he reminded himself, _Lance didn’t abandon you. Lance came._

Keith heard Lance say his name softly as he reached up with his free hand and gently gripped the back of Keith’s neck. He spoke softly to Keith, just above a whisper, as he tried to get Keith to breathe again, thumb stroking soothing circles into the side of his neck. After a few moments, the words penetrated through the haze of Keith’s panic.

“It’s ok, I’m right here. I know you don’t feel well but I’m right here and I’m not going anywhere. You’re going to be fine and I’m not leaving until you are.”

Keith let out a wheezy sigh and focused on his boyfriend. He had dark circles under his eyes and his skin didn’t look as radiant as it usually did. The worry seemed to be permanently affixed to his face, and Keith could practically feel the focused concern wafting off of him in waves. Lance had said that he had come over late last night, but Keith wondered how long Lance had been worrying and not sleeping well. They hadn’t had a lot of time to talk over the last few weeks due to Keith’s crazy busy schedule, and it had been difficult for them both. Not that things were strained, but just that things were feeling little more tense than usual. Keith couldn’t blame him; they usually spent a lot of time together and being apart and not having a lot of chance to talk was never easy.

Keith took a long draw from the glass and then set it aside, cupping Lance’s face with his free hand, “Thank you.”

Lance blinked in surprise, “Uh… yeah, sure. For what?”

Keith grinned, “For everything really. For being you.”

A flush crawled across Lance’s face and he turned his head away in embarrassment, scratching at the back of his neck. Keith found it utterly adorable and he smiled. Lance caught the look and rolled his eyes as he flushed harder, chuckling under his breath and giving Keith’s hand a slight squeeze, “Alright, alright. I’m not saying you’re welcome for being me, that’s just weird. Now, you must be pretty hungry. Would you like to eat?”

Keith’s stomach clenched a little in protest at the idea and he grimaced slightly. He knew he needed to eat, but he really didn’t want to try to get food into his stomach right now. He was also sticky and felt disgusting, so what he really wanted was to get clean.

“Actually, I think I want to talk a shower first.”

Lance nodded in agreement, “Sounds good. Let’s go.”

Lance stood in a fluid motion that Keith tried to track, but the sudden movement caused the world to tilt a little on its axis, so he closed his eyes instead, trying to right the world. He took a deep breath (well, semi deep since he didn’t want to start coughing again) and opened his eyes to see Lance’s hands extended towards him. He gratefully accepted the help and was standing on his own two feet before the world had finished acting like a top. Keith wobbled a little, and Lance braced him against his side with an arm wrapped comfortably around Keith’s shoulders. They walked slowly up the stairs, Keith leaning into Lance for _cuddles, not because he needs help, thank you very much_. When they reached the bathroom, the world had mostly stopped trying to work itself sideways and Keith could finally find his balance. Lance leaned against the doorframe, watching Keith like a hawk as Keith turned the shower on and let it warm up. Keith looked back at him with a raised eyebrow, question clear as day in the movement. Lance gave him a _look_ and smirked.

“Need help in there?”

Keith stared at Lance as he felt the heat suffuse his face; how could he so easily make Keith turn redder than a tomato? How in the world did he do that? Keith stalked to the door as Lance snickered into his hand, his eyes twinkling with mirth. Keith grabbed the door with as much dignity as he could muster and looked down his nose at Lance (which was hard because he had to look up at his face, but it was about _attitude_ , not height), “No, thank you.”

He closed the door a little harder than necessary, Lance backing out of the doorframe quickly to avoid getting caught by it, still snickering. Keith leaned against the wood and smiled to himself, enjoying the heat from his face and he heard Lance’s muffled voice through the door, “If you change your mind, you know where to find me!”

 

A little while later, Keith was sitting on the floor of his bedroom, energy completely gone and body weighed down by a thousand bricks. He’d enjoyed the shower and the hot steam had eased some of the dryness of his throat, but it had made him dizzy as well so he had hurried through it as much as he could. He’d then managed to dry himself off and make it to his bedroom and pulled a pair of boxers on but that had been where all his energy could carry him. He had no idea how long he’d been sitting here against his box spring, just staring at his feet. He shivered slightly every now and then, but he didn’t feel cold; he wondered vaguely if he was still running a fever. He stared despondently at the pile of laundry in his hamper, knowing he needed to get that done before he had to go back to work in three days. Two days? Hadn’t Lance said it had been day? He needed to ask Lance.

He sighed and leaned back against his box spring. His mattress had indeed been carried downstairs to the front room, though he had no idea when that had happened. It seemed like a ridiculous amount of work when a pile of blankets would have done the same thing. His stomach growled loudly, and he put a hand over it in an attempt to shush it. He knew Lance had asked if he was hungry, but he also knew he had no food in the house. He groaned in frustration; just another thing he needed to get done before he went back to work and he just didn’t have the energy.

There was a quick knock on his door and he heard Lance call his name before the door cracked open and a head full of beautiful tawny hair peeked in. Lance noticed Keith sitting on the floor and he walked quickly over to his side, squatting down next to him.

“Hey, doing ok?” he asked in such a soft voice that it had Keith smiling tiredly.

Keith leaned his head back and stared at the ceiling, “Yeah, just ran out of steam I guess.”

There was a pause before Lance was huffing in amusement, “Did you just make a joke? Or was that an accident?”

Keith looked at him from the corner of his eye, smirking, “Maybe? You can’t always be the funny one.”

Lance’s face was relaxing from the constant state of worry Keith had seen it in since he woke up. It was much more natural and Keith wanted to do everything he could to keep it that way. Lance reached up and gently pressed his forearm to Keith’s forehead, “Well, you still have a fever and I think it’s higher than it was earlier, but it’s still not as bad as it was last night, thank goodness.”

Keith turned his head to face his boyfriend, “How bad was it?”

Lance grimaced, “When I arrived, about an hour after we talked, you were in the bathroom throwing up and sobbing and your fever was over 103. Thank god Shiro called Coran for the key.”

Keith blinked at Lance in confusion, “Coran was here?”

Lance nodded, “Yeah. While I was trying to calm you down and get you to stop crying, he brought your mattress downstairs and made it up with all the blankets.”

“Ah,” Keith breathed, “I was wondering about the mattress.”

Lance hooked a couple of fingers into the palm of Keith’s hand absently, shaking his head ruefully, “That man is crazy intuitive. He just did it without my needing to ask. He also called this morning to see how you were doing. He said you should eat as soon as possible.”

Keith nodded and bit his lip, avoiding Lance’s eyes and staring at their linked hands, “Yeah, except I don’t have any food and I’m really not feeling up to going to get something right now.”

Lance gave a huff of indignation, “Yeah, I’m _well_ aware of how you had no food in this house and trust me we’re going to be talking about that, but I called Hunk last night after you fell asleep and he got some groceries and made soup.”

Keith looked at Lance with bewilderment, “Hunk… bought me groceries?”

Lance had such a soft look on his face, Keith could almost describe it as tender, “Yeah, he did. That guy loves you and is just as worried as I am. He and Pidge are downstairs wanting to see you, and I really want you to eat something. Think I can help you put some clothes on? While I don’t mind the glorious view, I’m sure they will appreciate it.”

Keith rolled his eyes as he gave Lance a shy smile, “Yeah, I could use the help. And the clothes.”

Lance stood and went to Keith’s dresser, pulling out a well-worn _House Targaryen_ t-shirt, some black sweatpants, and a pair of socks. He turned a saw Keith watching him and he smiled in a way that made Keith’s heart ache. It was just so loving that Keith knew he was blushing and smiling back like an idiot. Lance’s eyes were sparkling as he walked back, and Keith took a moment to appreciate the view, but also everything that made Lance _Lance._ He would forever be grateful and confused towards the universe for blessing him with such an amazing guy. He would spend the rest of his life trying to be worthy of all the love that Lance gave him every day.

Lance kneeled beside him again and motioned for Keith to lean forward. Keith followed the instructions and Lance helped him pull his shirt over his head and down his body. Keith had a vague sense of familiarity with the action, but he wasn’t really sure where it came from. Lance rose and reached out to help Keith stand, who then leaned into his boyfriend and greedily soaked up the heat that always radiated from him. Lance kissed the top of his head, “Pants time. Need help?”

Keith grunted, “No, I can do it, just let me use you for balance.”

It was a little slow, and Lance had to steady Keith a couple of times or he would have toppled over with no resistance, but finally the sweatpants and socks were on. At some point during the whole fiasco, Lance had wrapped his arms around Keith and now they stood there holding each other, Keith’s arms encircling Lance’s waist. Keith loved hugging Lance; it was one of the only times he felt completely relaxed and safe in the world. Lance was rubbing circles on Keith’s back and Keith hummed in approval and snuggled his face into Lance’s shoulder.

Keith wasn’t sure how long they stood there, but he knows it wasn’t long enough before Lance was pulling back. He took Keith’s hand and started towards the door, but Keith detoured just two steps to his closet and pulled out his favorite hoodie; it was just slightly too big for him, but he loved it because Lance had given it to him. He pulled the blue hoodie over his head and Lance watched with an affectionate gleam in his eye before he made a soft sound in the back of his throat as he stepped into Keith’s space. Keith regarded him, head tilted up to see Lance’s face, and Lance bent down so that his lips hovered over his.

“God I love it when you wear my clothes,” he breathed onto Keith’s skin, his lips brushing lightly against Keith’s in a teasing caress before he gave Keith a chaste kiss and pulled back. Keith grabbed the front of Lance’s shirt and softly whimpered, wanting more. Lance grinned and kissed him chastely on the lips again before kissing his forehead, lingering there as he spoke.

“Come on, you need to eat and Pidge and Hunk are waiting.”

Keith grumbled under his breath but he let go of Lance’s shirt. Lance grabbed his hand and guided them out of the room and down the stairs to a welcoming kitchen where Hunk had a pot on the stove and Pidge was sitting at the island, talking quietly. They both turned when they heard the couple enter and they greeted Keith warmly. Pidge’s voice sounded slightly muffled and when Keith looked at her closely he noticed she was wearing a mask that covered the bottom half of her face. He blinked a couple of times, making sure his mind wasn’t playing tricks on him and she waved a hand in the air.

“I can’t be catching whatever disease you have; Matt and I are working like crazy to get this project done and I don’t have time to be laid up in bed.”

Keith nodded and gave a small smile, “Yeah, I don’t blame you whatsoever.”

Lance led him over to one of the barstools at the island and Keith sat down next to Pidge, turning to Hunk who stood by the stove, “Hey Hunk. I hear you bought me groceries?”

“Oh yeah man, I’ve got you all stocked,” he replied as he stirred the contents of the pot once and then started scooping it into a bowl, “I didn’t go too crazy, but the food should last you about a week or so.” He turned and pulled a spoon from a drawer to his left, and then placed the steaming bowl in front of Keith. Lance had grabbed a glass from a cupboard and filled it with water, and he placed that in front of Keith as well before walking out of the room. Keith thanked them both softly as he picked up the water and took a sip.

“You really didn’t need to do that. I’ll be sure to pay you back.”

“Nuh-uh,” Hunk shook his head emphatically, “you will do absolutely no such thing. You’ve been working like crazy and you’re sick. The only repayment you need to give me is getting better. Because if you don’t, Pidge and I are going to have to suffer with more _overly-worried-boyfriend-Lance_ and we just can’t.”

Hunk’s eyes were twinkling with mirth, focused on something behind Keith. There was an annoyed huff from behind Keith’s left shoulder as Lance pulled out a barstool and sat next to his boyfriend, “Yeah whatever. You’re just as worried as I am, don’t even pretend. You even got Pidge worrying too.”

Pidge leaned forward so she could glare at Lance, looking utterly ridiculous and not intimidating at all because all that could be seen was her eyes, “I’m just here for blackmail opportunities.”

Lance snorted as he absently placed his hand on Keith’s lower back, rubbing gentle circles through the fabric, “Whatever Pigeon. You can pretend all you want, but we all know the only reason you and Hunk are here right now is because you actually care.”

Keith watched the banter with amusement, finally lifting a spoonful of the delicious smelling soup to his lips and blowing on it to cool it down. He ate the bite and his eyes slid closed in delight, the warm liquid feeling magical as it moved down his sore throat. He opened his eyes and smiled at Hunk, “This is amazing, thank you so much.”

Hunk smiled widely and gave a mock bow, “My work here is done.”

They sat in the kitchen while Keith slowly ate his bowl of soup, bantering and discussing work projects that were coming up as well as end of the year tasks that needed to be completed. Keith didn’t really join in, just enjoyed watching his boyfriend and friends interact, but he was acutely aware of the circles Lance’s fingers were making on his back. His hand never stopped moving, but they were lazy strokes, almost like he wasn’t making them consciously. Keith could feel a blush slowly start to cross his cheeks, and he wasn’t sure if it was from the warm soup, the fever, or from Lance’s touches. If he was a betting man, he would say it was all Lance.

When Keith was almost finished with his food, Lance reached for the thermometer that was resting on the counter and turned it on, “Time for a temperature check babe.”

Keith turned his head obediently and studied Lance as the device was slowly dragged across his forehead. Lance pulled it back and read the display, his brow furrowing, “102.3. Time for more meds I think.”

Lance stood up and walked over to the cupboard where Keith kept all his over the counter medicines while Hunk cleared the island, leaving the half full glass of water in front of Keith. Pidge hopped off her stool and began washing the dishes and Keith made a small noise of protest before she glared over her shoulder at him, “Hush you, you’re sick. Just let us pamper you so we all feel better.”

Keith blinked at her, slightly cowed, hunching into himself a little, “Fine.”

Lance was at his side, chuckling as he placed two pills on the counter in front of him. He reached his arm around Keith’s shoulder and pulled Keith in so he could place a kiss on top of his head, “You have been defeated, the least you can do is accept it with grace and dignity.”

Keith rolled his eyes with a slightly aggravated sigh, reaching for the pills and water, “You obviously don’t know me at all if you think that’s going to happen.”

Lance sat down and gave Keith a fond smile as he watched his boyfriend take the meds, “No, I think it’s one of my favorite parts about you; I love your pout.”

Keith was definitely blushing, his face felt like it was on fire and he ducked it down, hiding behind his hand as he rubbed at his cheek. Lance gave a soft chuckle that had Keith smiling despite his embarrassment and he mumbled, “Stop it.”

Lance set his hand on top of Keith’s knee and turned back to his friends who were almost done cleaning up the dishes, “Hey guys, how about a movie before you head out? There’s one I’ve been wanting to watch.”

The others agreed readily and Lance stood up, grabbing Keith’s hand and the glass of water before pulling him into the TV room before depositing him on the couch, “Sit. Don’t move.”

Keith raised his eyebrow in amusement but obediently sat while Lance walked out of the room. Pidge and Hunk came in moments later and each sat in a chair or on the other couch, talking technical jargon about the project she and Matt were working on. Keith let the chatter roll over him as he zoned out, enjoying the warmth of company without the pressure of needing to interact. He realized on some level that his fever was probably affecting him more than he thought since he really couldn’t track time very well.

A blanket settle over Keith’s legs, startling him out of his daze. He glanced up at his boyfriend, but Lance was already moving on to the TV, searching out remotes and getting the movie set up on Netflix. Keith took the opportunity to ogle Lance’s ass, an aspect that he always appreciated every chance he got. It was a seriously _fine_ ass. Lance must have felt how closely he was being studied because he peeked over his shoulder and caught Keith’s stare. As they looked at each other, Lance’s eyes began to twinkle and he winked. Keith looked away, face burning again, smiling to himself, his heart clenching pleasantly in his chest. He loved that man so much.

Lance finally got the movie set up and plopped down beside Keith, arm thrown over his shoulder. Keith snuggled eagerly into his side, feeling warm and happy and content. He leaned on Lance’s shoulder and he felt a kiss being pressed to his head as the movie started. Keith fell asleep cuddled into Lance, listening happily to the commentary being thrown out about the movie, never feeling more loved in his life.

 

BONUS:

 

A week later:

 

Keith huffed in amusement as Lance readjusted himself on top of Keith for the fourth time. They were laying on Lance’s couch, the next episode of the show they were watching playing on the TV, and Lance wasn’t paying any attention to it. Lance shoved his face into the crook of Keith’s neck with a whimper, “Keeeeeeeeeith, I’m dyyyyyyyyyyying!”

Keith rolled his eyes, “No you’re not Lance, you have a _cold_.”

“ _The plague Keith, I have the PLAGUE._ ”

Keith chuckled at Lance’s dramatics and rubbed his back comfortingly. It had been a week since Keith had been sick and apparently Lance had finally succumbed to the sickness himself. His fever wasn’t nearly as bad, but Lance was convinced he was going to die and it was _all Keith’s fault_.

“Alright Lance, if you die I promise I’ll cry at your funeral.”

Lance sniffled loudly, “And never have sex again.”

Keith smirked, “And never have sex… at least for a month.”

Lance jerked up, elbowing Keith in the stomach by accident which caused Keith to grunt and laugh at Lance’s outraged expression as he gaped down at his boyfriend, “Keeeeeeeith, how could you?”

Keith leaned up on his elbows and gently kissed his nose, “I’m kidding. I would never have sex again. So you better not die.”

Lance smiled happily and collapsed back down onto Keith’s chest, snuggling close again. Keith threaded his fingers through Lance’s hair as they cuddled, marveling at his life. Six months ago he hadn’t even known Lance, but somehow he had become Keith’s whole world.

Lance coughed, groaning pathetically, “If I become a zombie because my brain fries, I’m biting you first.”

Keith laughed, “Well at least we’ll have eternity as the undead together.”

Lance peeked up at him with a shy smile on his face, “Yeah, I would like that a lot.”

They quieted and focused back on the TV, tangled together under a blanket, Lance laying on top of Keith. Blue was curled up in the corner of the couch at their feet, purring softly, while Red regally watched from his perch on the back of the couch. The air was full of happiness and peace, and Lance fell asleep in Keith’s arms knowing that he was loved.

 


End file.
